


Finding Fili Baggins

by hitagashi



Series: Raising Fili Baggins [4]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Abduction, Alternate Universe - Canon, Gen, I'm working on the next chapter I swear, It jumps around at points, Non-Linear Narrative, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-07
Updated: 2013-09-07
Packaged: 2017-12-25 22:37:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/958396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hitagashi/pseuds/hitagashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Fili is found he must first be lost to do so.  What he remembers isn't so clear, either.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Fili Baggins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LadyRedFeather](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRedFeather/gifts).



Before Bilbo found Fili and managed to take in a _child_ (though this only helped him be respectable as children are near and dear to the Shire-folk), the child had gone missing.

Really, it took place near three years before Bilbo found him. And it started, as many of these tales do, with a pair of mischievous children that just wanted to _explore_. And so it was that Fíli and Kíli needed to go running about the mountain. They dodged and ducked and hid away, did everything in their power to keep the game up as long as they could.

They were pretty much flouncing around happily, doing as children were wont to do, when it became apparent that they weren't alone. It took all of five seconds for Fíli to realize these people were not Good People and whip his younger brother behind himself. He didn't like the looks they wore. Nor did he like the way they seemed to be debating over them like they were _property_.

"Well, well, lookie we got 'ere, mates! Two li'l princesses." There was a chorus of laughter at that and Fíli, who had promised to protect his brother _always_ had all but shoved Kíli into a small pass. He didn't bother talking, didn't bother making motions to surrender or be nice, he just shoved his little brother into a pass and yelled for him to go, go and find their parents and uncle and Mister Dwalin.

From there, all Fili really remembered, through fever dreams and night terrors, was that as he'd been shoving his little brother further and further, one of the people had grabbed him and knocked his head into the wall.

He awoke outside the mountain, somewhere in the forest, a loud wail coming from him at the pain in his head and the loss of his brother, his Kíli. It amused the thieves at first, for that is what they were, before they steadily grew angrier and angrier, trussed him up like he was a pig and stuck him in a sack.

"Shut yer mouth! Ye're uncle's t' blame 'ere an' don' ye forget it!" But of course, Fíli knew this to be a lie. He bit his captor's hand, straight through the flesh of his palm actually, and was hit over the head for his bravery. But Fíli was a Durin. And Durins did not give into bullies and thugs.

It continued much this way, the dwarves that collected him would wake him or he'd wake on his own, he'd throw a fit, and he'd be knocked out. Sometimes he'd be fed, mostly it would be him fighting them and them cursing the stubborn nature of Durin's Folk. And always, always they insulted his uncle. Said it was all his fault that Fíli was taken away from home.

But, steadily, he began to forget.

Not because he was hit one too many times. Not because he was accepting it. But eventually they all stopped talking about his family and eventually he stopped paying attention to the fact that he knew people other than these cruel bastards. He forgot because he had nothing to remind him of the life he lived, nothing to explain things away. The only thing that remained was the fact that he knew he was protecting Kíli... or was it Kili? He didn't know, he just knew he had to fight these people to protect that person.

They were riding passed somewhere when his sack had him tumbling out and onto the road. It jarred him awake but in two years' time he knew better than to actually cry out. They'd be back, right? So he stayed still, waited for them to come and collect them. He waited even as he got hungry and thirsty and couldn't help but whine slightly.

And then began the wiggling, anything to get someone's attention. They never let him fall out, they were always careful, something about damaged goods. He wiggled and squirmed and did his very best to try not to hurt himself as he tried to get out.

Suddenly, to him anyway, he found the loops on top being undone, enough for his head to poke out. Whatever was in front of him was bigger than he was. It, of course, scared him. But he was a dwarf and dwarves didn't get scared of people. "Oh, oh dear. Well... let's get you out, yes? Oh dear," was what he was met with instead of scolding or angry words.

He was free when he flinched away, wary, asked him what he'd been wanting to ask the bullies. "Where's Kili?" But he wouldn't answer right? This is how he'd know whether or not this was new bullies or not.

"I'm sorry, I've never met anyone named Kili. But I'm Bilbo, who are you?" He was scared and hungry and thirsty and whatever this Bilbo person was, it was creeping him out how he was calming down around him. So he bowed, stiff as a board, hit himself in the face with his braids for his trouble.

"Fili, at your service."

On another note, his stomach was a traitor and shouldn't be trusted. Ever.

Because it growled and before the smile lit the Bilbo-person's face, a look of sheer horror did. And then worry. Somehow, in ways he didn't know, he was collected again, only this time taken to a small house inside the hills. He marveled at it a bit but was mostly worried about food. Food and things to drink.

So he ate and ate and ate and drank and drank and drank. And the Bilbo-person took the nasty things in his hair out, humming a soft tune that made Fili feel safe and cared for. The night passed in a blur to him, food and drink gone until finally he was in a bed and being told he was amazing for eating more than a hobbit.

He had hoped to sneak into the bed later, but found himself eye to eye with the hobbit as he lifted the blankets and let Fili curl against him. And, for once in a past couple of years, Fili felt like he'd found _home_.

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly done from Fili's perspective. Kind of. Still third person. But it's been sitting there started for forever.
> 
> My (current) tally for my chapter length for TTBaTGA is 44 but it's subject to change. There's going to be a sequel. I haven't decided if Fili lives or dies and who all gets to live or die in BotFA. There are nine more side stories planned, one being Arathorn courting Gilraen and another being a fic to the song Into the West which is going to be huge too (44 chapters) and have to do with Bilbo going West.
> 
> So that's what's up.
> 
> This is gifted to Lady Red because she's very clearly the most patient prompter ever.


End file.
